Testing the Relationship between Post Child Marriage Variables and a Girls¡¯ Education Level in Rural Pakistan

Education is among the most impacted factors negatively associated with child marriage (CM). Girl¡¯s education affects their well-being, home community, and shows effects at the country-level. For this study, child brides (N=30), living in a remote rural area of Pakistan where child marriage is part of the culture and religious traditions of the community, provided responses to a standardized survey protocol. Correlation and regression analyses of the data showed three variables explained the large majority of the variation in the respondents¡¯ education levels post child marriage (R2 = .869, F(4, 25) = 48.988, p < .001). The variables tested aligned with the Potential Indicators of Gender Inequality in Education, by Domain. A child bride¡¯s perception of the legal age for marriage in Pakistan showed the main effect, while her level of responsibilities after marriage had a negative significant relationship with the dependent variable, Qualification/Certificate level at the time of the study. Finally, when the family members held the power of decision over a child bride¡¯s education, the mean value of the participants¡¯ education levels went up. A deep review of the literature provided insights into areas of family and community norms, Pakistan¡¯s educational context, and influences from institutions outside education. Vaughn¡¯s indicators of equitable practices for girls¡¯ education provided a frame to organize the review of the literature. The paper used a lens of honor cultures¡¯ to understand the social influences on the practice of child marriage. Recommendations and implications provide practical applications for next steps.